NANNY FOR MENDES.

Twenty-eight

I'm using my phone to text Mom, just to check on her, leaning on the counter, when I feel a hand on my nose. Shawn just put flour over my nose.

I look at him, narrowing my eyes. He's smiling from ear to ear.

"You ass." I say, taking a fistful of flour and throw at him, laughing.

We start a flour fight. Flour is all over our clothes, our hair.

Just as I'm about to take a fistful, Shawn tickles me and wraps one strong arm around my waist lifting me up. I pull away from his hold and try to reach the flour but he stops me by pulling me back with a strong hand on my forearm.

He tickles me and we laugh hard.

"Shawn! Stop!" I laugh.

I try my best to pull us apart. And I do. But then again, he pulls me back, this time, pinning me to his hard chest. Our bodies are touching. We stop laughing. I'm feeling somethings. I can tell he is too; I feel the rise and fall of his chest, his fast-beating heart.

I tilt my head to look at him, and he's looking down at me so intensely I look at the ground. The eye contact is too much for me. He cups my chin and tilts my head. He's leaning in, slowly.

Our lips are approaching. Holy fucking shit. I've never felt this before. Ever. His lips are almost over mine. His breath is teasing my skin. He smells so good. I put my hands over his chest, and he puts his on my waist. He's leaning in. One more inch, and his lips will be over mine. His gaze on me is so intense.

We pull apart so quickly when we hear someone clear their throat.

Noah.

𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙏 𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙏 𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙏 𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙏.

"Let's clean this place." Noah says.

I nod, unable to open my mouth after what happened. I can still feel his breath on my face and his hands on my waist. I feel suddenly.... empty. It's like his hands were made to be put on my waist and mine were made to be put over his chest. His hard chest. It just hit me now. I didn't feel when we pulled apart because I was startled.

****************************
"Sophia Johnson. This is fucking amazing." Noah says, chewing his tuna pizza.

I feel Shawn kicking his leg underneath the table.
"Watch your mouth."

"Sorry."

"Soph. This is really delicious. Thanks." Bear says.

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it."

"It is delicious. Thank you, Sophia." Shawn adds.

Sophia. Okay. Good. For the first time, I'm relieved that he's saying 𝘚𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘢 and not 𝘚𝘰𝘱𝘩. It means he wants to be professional. And he's right. We've gone too far.

I sat between Noah and Raul. I couldn't just sit next to Shawn after what happened. It'd be too much.

"Soph. Stay the night with me."

Bear caught me off-guard.

"I can't." Not after what happened. No.